Also known as long-sightedness, occurs when the image is focussed
behind the retina of a resting hyperopic (long-sighted) eye producing
a blurred image. On average, the hyperopic eye is slightly
smaller than a normal sized eye.
How does hyperopia affect vision?
A little amount of hyperopia is usually not a problem as the lens can
compensate for it quite easily. However, if there is a significant
amount of hyperopia, the amount of effort required to focus (known
as accommodation) can cause symptoms of stress, tiredness, blurry
vision and also headaches, especially when doing alot of near work.
How can I tell if my child is long-sighted?
A complete eye test is the only sure way of determining if your
child’s vision is normal or not. A child with hyperopia may complain
of tired and sore eyes when reading and may not enjoy reading. An
unequal or high amount of hyperopia in the eyes can also lead to
turned eyes (strabismus) and lazy eyes (amblyopia).
What causes hyperopia and is it reversible?
The exact causes of hyperopia is not known but we feel it has a hereditary
influence. As you get older, the amount of hyperopia generally
increases but in some cases can reverse itself; a process
known as emmetropisation. Depending on the symptoms, management
of hyperopia may include glasses, contact lenses, vision
therapy or simply monitoring. Laser refractive surgery tends to be
less ameniable to hyperopia.
